Come along, step right up, and see the beautiful disaster that is balancing our lives, geek interests, having a Halloween wedding and not being so tacky as to upset even ourselves. (j/k, we’ll probably wind up with some tackiness no matter what we do.)

The Stationary Situation

This, is probably one of the easiest ones for us. My fiance suggested that I take a look at Royal Steamline when it came time to order invitations and save the dates. The biggest problem that I have now is that I love way too many of the styles that they offer. We ordered a dozen samples and were only able to cross one of from our list. If you’re looking to add a touch of Steampunk flair or a hint of Gothic elegance to your invitations, Royal Steamline has you covered. (These aren’t the only styles they excel at, but they did constitute a lot of the ones we picked out.) Some of the designs invoke Edward Gorey, others call directly upon the lure of Lovecraftian horror and others still are even delicate. We’re actually just waiting to determine the venue and get a handle on our guest-list to order Save The Dates from them.

Looking for something a little more illustrated? Check out artist Ellen Forney’s wedding invitation commissions. They’re cool, and will be every bit unique to you.

The Venue

There’s one mother between us and she’s a terrifying force to be reckoned with, sweeping in just as we found out that our first choice of a wedding venue is being sold as of May. We’re not willing to risk losing out on our date, so that ruled it out for us and we’re still reeling a little from thinking we had the perfect venue, located exactly where we wanted it, and haunted, only to lose it. Right now we have a few other contenders in the running, but we haven’t fallen in love with any of them the way we did the one that got away. (There’s an irony there that I am well, well aware of.)

The Dress

I’m studying fashion design, and that makes the prospect of finding a wedding dress terrifying. If I sit down, I could draw my dream dress and give myself unrealistic expectations for a mythical dress that I will never find, and more than that, that I don’t want to take on the added stress of making for myself. Given our plan for a masquerade themed reception, it’s also looking likely that I’ll be wearing two dresses, something more traditional to walk down the aisle in, and a separate dress for the reception. While I’m not decided any way just yet, I’ve taken a look at Whirling Turban and I have to admit that they have at least two styles that I’m seriously lusting after.

The Reception
Since we’re kind of asking a lot of our friends by asking them to give up their Halloween, we’re hoping to make sure it doesn’t actually feel like they’re giving anything up. I want to have it all, without blowing our budget, and I don’t want it to feel tacky or overdone. I’m real hoping that in the end we can pull of what we’re trying to. I’m forgoing superheroes, because we can think of anything that really pairs with Red Hood (his favorite), and Harley and Joker seem like.. Well.. Not the strongest foundation for starting out our marriage. I’m shooting for something that can capture the feeling of a haunted forest while working with the masquerade aesthetic we’re thinking for the reception attire. Of course, if I’d found a way to make it tasteful, we would have been throwing a super hero filled affair to rival Green Arrow and Black Canary’s wedding. (Which is an idea that has given me a lot of ideas that I don’t need to be having about how to still wind up having a super hero wedding, because they did it and it was still a nice thing. Would help if my dude didn’t think Green Arrow was not at all up to snuff. But God help me if I don’t really want to do it.) I looked at a venue recently just because there was an opportunity for wedding photos with dinosaurs and I think that even our guests would get behind the idea of getting to steal a photo with the dinos.

I’m opting against a big bridal party, which has sadly meant that I’ve also been left ruling out some of the other whimsical ideas I tossed around, like the bridal party coming to the reception as classic monsters and the groom and I as either Dracula and Mina or Frankenstein’s Monster and the Bride. ( Also out the window with that one? Coordinated thriller dance at the reception, but I think we have something else cool in the pipeline.) I haven’t started to put together a wedding playlist yet, but something tells me that he has, so I can’t say we haven’t been thinking about that yet because I know he’s been on the hunt for the perfect song for our first dance.  I suggested a 30 Seconds to Mars song with a waltz tempo, but currently I think I’m losing. I’m hoping we do include The Monster Mash, Thriller, and Moondance (My mom and adoptive father used this when they got married,) though. Which, brings me to suggest that we’re likely to go DJ, and we’re hoping to go open bar, but that also depends on that whole… Venue thing.

The Cake

Aside from squabbling over flavors, which I’m pretty resigned to doing unless we can agree on something in a red velvet or vanilla with strawberry/cherry/raspberry/red fruit flavored filling/pink ganache/pink mousse/etc, we haven’t really settled on a color palette yet and I don’t know if I want to go for something like Day of the Dead skulls on the cake, or The Nightmare Before Christmas, or The Corpse Bride.. But, here’s a few of the things I’ve seen so far that I’ve had a hard time resisting when it comes to decoration.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Other Traditions

When it comes to my something old, I think I’m planning to wear a piece of my mother’s jewelry to have a piece of her with me. It’s going to be over five years since she passed when I get married. This isn’t so much fun, and it leaves me scrambling for something appropriate to borrow from someone close to me, but! When it comes to my something new, I can share that I’m probably planning to opt for a Batman Garter if I can find one that I really like, unless I cave and go for something with a TARDIS on it to also encapsulate my something blue, though I have something in mind for that which I can’t share here because I don’t want my fiance catching wind of it all this long out before the date.

I’m sure there are a ton of fun things I’m leaving out, so hop on Pinterest and shiver with antici——————————-pation for me to update my wedding board. It’s been fun!

1: Chalkboard polish; How on Earth could I not know about Ciate’s chalkboard paint polish??? Sephora states it’s a new item, so maybe I’m not that far behind the trend. I love that the set comes with its own nail pens to help you create your own unique patterns. Although school is over, this would make a great end of year gift for teachers, or just a gift for that special instructor in your life.

2: Colorful napkins; With all those summer parties in your very near future, you are going to need some sunshine-worthy kitchen accessories. In comes these gorgeous Anthropologie napkins in bold and fun colors and patterns. Serving, wiping and folding have never been more fun.

3: Confetti number cake topper; I’m a big fan of DIY cake toppers – it just adds that special something to birthdays, weddings, showers, etc. And this sweet little tutorial looks just perfect and seemingly easy. Definite birthday project!

4: High-waisted chevron swimsuit; Another adorable swimsuit with no original link. What gives, people? But seriously, this high-waisted chevron bikini is so perfect! I can imagine pairing it with a large, floppy hat, an ice cold piña colada and a relaxed state of mind {similar found here}.

5: Heart bowls; Talking about cute kitchen accessories – check this sweet bowl set out! I don’t know about you, but serving a nice healthy breakfast in one of these guys would make me way more apt to eat it. Just an idea, dieters.

1. Colorblock sneakers; Crazy colorful shades for the summer? Yes please! These great colorblock sneakers from American Apparel are sure to brighten up your June wardrobe, especially as a pop to any outfit. Yep, need ‘em.

2. Unicorn iPhone case; I stand behind anything unicorn-related. Especially if it is paired with a very unladylike statement. That’s why this iPhone case is kind of perfection. Have I mentioned I have a summer birthday? Just sayin’.

3. Lady suit; Gone are the days where a one-piece bathing suit was just for moms and body conscious women. I can’t get over how cute they are lately, and this one only proves my point. Unfortunately, I can’t find it online, but I’m pretty sure it is Moschino, which means I can kiss it and its hefty price tag goodbye. Le sigh.

4. Instagram flask; Do you and your friends insta?? If you know exactly what that phrase means, chances you are going to definitely want one of these sweet flasks. Can you say perfect groomsmen gift??

5. Mojito jello shots; I blame my good friend, Chris Fullman, for this find. I’m always looking for the next best party drink, and I think I have met my match. How perfect would these be for the next Melificent pool party? Although it seems to be some work (hello, lime scooping), I am up for the challenge!

It also is home to my favorite holiday and my favorite person’s birthday, my husband. He said he wanted something very low-key at home with his closest friends. Nothing major, just a night where we could have a few cocktails and catch up. I took the opportunity to make the party special, while not breaking the bank. I used items that were either under $5 or that I found laying around the house. It is totally possible to throw a party at your home without saying goodbye to a quarter of your bank account, I promise.

These quick little photo clips above are the perfect representation. I grabbed multiple $1 packs of balloons from the Dollar Store and taped them to our wall. As an after thought, I’m sure taping a big square of kraft paper to your wall and then using more powerful tape to secure the balloons onto it would be better, as we had to keep putting some of them back on throughout the night if someone passed by them too close. But either way, it did not take us long to put them up and it was a great statement piece for the party that caught everyone’s attention. We didn’t even use one pack! To make the hubs’ birthday candle a little more special, I grabbed a pack of small animal figures from Target’s Spritz party line which was $3.99, and chose the polar bear (what I refer to him due to his strange affinity for below zero temperatures). I hot glue gunned a striped candle (also from the Spritz line) to it, held it down and let it sit for a bit. Voila! Instant kitsch.

As usual, I have a ton of party supplies I never used (or just reuse) from previous parties, so I threw those all out to decorate the main party table and added some quick “table confetti” in the form of construction paper cut outs. Again, a huge pack of construction paper from the dollar store did the trick, along with a circle cutting tool. I scattered the table full of these and it took me all of 5 minutes. Despite being one of the easiest things you can do decor-wise, it helped make a colorful and fun accent, and also helps pull together any color palettes you may be using (blue and green, in the birthday boy’s case). Finally, making your own cake can really save cost, while also making it more personal. The hubs decided he was going to make his own brownie cake and it was not only beautiful, but also a hit with all our guests. Add an adorable $2 birthday boy/girl ribbon to make the guest of honor feel special and you are good to go!

Party planning does not have to be arduous or expensive – it just takes a little bit of thought and a whole lot of heart.

I can’t get over this ADORABLE wall decal. I know the hubs will absolutely kill me if I buy it for our home, but I’m severely tempted. Like, I may have the checkout screen staring back at me as we speak. Like, I may have hit the submit button. Oh well, he’ll get over it, right?

If anyone knows how to throw a party, it’s Ban.do! Not only do they make the most fabulous accessories, but they also dabble in the art of party planning. I mean, you gotta have an equally fun fiesta to wear your festive shoe clips to, am I right? This is one of my favorite ideas – just lining a wall with balloons! Simple and effortless, yet really makes a big impact. I would especially love to “make” one of these babies as a photoshoot back drop. Project!

I have kind of a sweet loafer love going on at the moment. I think they are perfectly stylish, and speak to my tomboy roots by being nice and flat. Unfortunately, that does not equal comfortable. The only pair I own are especially painful, and according to reviews of these polka dot cuties, they suffer the same infliction. Pity, because they are SO cute – and look at the leopard style! May be worth the bandaids…

I just love the plastic animal trend! It’s such an easy way to add a fun and modern detail to…well, everything! These gift boxes couldn’t be any cuter – and I love the idea of using them for events. Since I’m not planning any in the near future, I guess I’ll settle for using them elsewhere, but consider this image saved for future reference.

So, this may be the most ridiculous undertaking in alcohol history, but I may just be up to that challenge. Anyone with me? This gigantic fish bowl of Vegas proportions includes everything from vodka to Malibu to Nerds candy. I’m not kidding. And I kind of think it is perfect for our next pool party. Just remember to pack your sleeping bags if you receive the invite because chances are you’ll be spending the night if this sucker is involved.

I had a thing for Stitch for a very long time (OK, I still do). My 21st family birthday cake had his face on it (my friends got me one with Elijah Wood’s face on it – ha), and I basically had every single piece of Stitch-related paraphernalia available. People even state that my dogs are very Stitch-like (they are), so naturally I NEED THIS CASE. Did I make myself clear?

I love snow cones (remember the Snoopy Sno Cone Maker?) and I love cupcakes, so these snow cone cupcakes truly spoke to my heart. They would look absolutely adorable for a bridal or baby shower, or even just for a girly GTG – which reminds me, I need to plan one soon!

Ok, so I gave up on shorts. I know that. But LOOK AT THESE. Aren’t they the cutest? Can you imagine serving those snow cone cupcakes with a pair of these shorts on? I mean, cuteness overload. Plus, being from romwe, they are so affordably priced and are available sans shipping! Very tempting, I must say.

Some people know how to throw a party. And those people had a wedding at Palm Springs. And it was magnificent. Seriously, there is not one detail that didn’t make me squee throughout this entire photo essay. Colorful feathers, gold unicorns, lots of glitter? It’s all good to me. Plus, the couple rented out the entire Ace Hotel for 4 whole days to host all sorts of pre-parties, including an epic pool party. Can they adopt me?

This is the first hair bow tutorial that looks doable. Granted, I have not tried it yet, so it could be another hoax, but it seems easily replicable. How cute is this? Now imagine serving those snow cone cupcakes in those shorts with this hair do! Noting a theme? Maybe.

I come bearing both good and bad news. Bad news? No Lovable Friday today. Good news? I am en route to Orlando, Florida where I will be celebrating a wonderful girl’s bachelorette! I am completely honored to be my friend, Elissa’s, maid of honor and have had such a good time planning what may just be the best bachelorette party idea in the world. Well, at least to those of us that believe in magic. It will be at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter where we will be sure to spike our Butterbeers and run amok alongside fellow witches all while pledging allegiance to the boy who lived.

I’ll be back next week with party details, as well as a related giveaway!
Have a great weekend, muggles!

As for the movie, I think they did a good job. But, of course, a movie will never be as wonderful as a book. Never. Unfortunately, I think their biggest downfall was character development. There were a lot of relationships that were not delved into as they should have been and remained pretty superficial, but the acting was absolutely amazing. Jennifer Lawrence is my girl, yo.

For more party details, click below.

Cornucopia centerpiece was made with white cardboard rolled up to form the shape, covered in tin foil in order to extend its curved tail. We then spray painted it with both gold and gold glitter. We went to the dollar store and collected little weapons and first aid products to put in and around the cornucopia, just like in the arena. We also used this tutorial to make mini bows.

I also snatched up some $1 picture frames and printed out Katniss & Peeta prints from Living Locurto.

I made a signature drink for the night, Girl on Fire, and used this recipe. I tied some raffia onto Mason jars and got my favorite striped straws from Hey Yo Yo, and affixed some Hunger Games quote drink flags to them, again from Living Locurto.

I scattered faux white roses around our home with a little creepy message attached from President Snow.

I made some gluten free Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting adapted from this yummy recipe.
The hubs designed the mockingjay toppers to pay tribute to our favorite heroine.

This was my favorite little detail: I made badges, which I referred to as identifiers to make it more Capitol oriented. Everyone could pick a role, whether it be gamemaker, stylist, sponsor or Capitol citizen. For those especially rebellious types, they could claim to be the mockingjay or support the rebellion. The special birthday girl got a birthday token. Design by the hubs again, actual DIY badges were made by me with help using this video tutorial.

We also had a reaping ball – it was a fun little detail where I had everyone enter their names and towards the end of the night, I pulled one out at random and gifted the lucky tribute with a Hunger Games poster designed by…who else? The hubs.

The whole spread, including my banner found on Etsy that I absolutely love!

Like a proud mama!

The hubs designed our shirts and it was uploaded to Spreadshirt, which is my new favorite site for custom tees. They have such a wide selection of styles and prices. It works for anyone and everyone! Plus, the quality is great. I unfortunately cannot say the same about CafePress (wah waaaah).

I also tried my hand (har har) at the infamous girl on fire manicure that Katniss sports while in the games (at least in the books, I was bummed to see that they left this detail out of the movie). I tried to follow this tutorial, but the flames did not peel off the lunch bags. So I used my nail pens and drew the flames by hand. They didn’t come out half bad! If interested, I used China Glaze’s Smoke and Ashes as a base and China Glaze’s Electrify for the pinkie pops. Finally, I used cheap $1 nail pens in red, bright orange and yellow to create the flames.

Overall, it was such a fun party, and I had so much fun creating and planning all the details. Next up on my party planning list? Continuing the planning for a Harry Potter themed bachelorette! Sure to be another super fun project!

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I hosted a fun, girls-only get-together at my place this past weekend. My friends and I really love painting our nails and the majority of us have vast collections, so we thought, why not share? I paired manicures with friendship bracelets, a trend that seems to be spreading with fashion bloggers and a project I thought seemed easy enough. I mean, we all used to do these when we were younger right? Not exactly. They were way more difficult to construct than I remember, and I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that I couldn’t even make one that looked half decent. What a mess! However, I’m not a quitter, so I’m going to try to tackle one again soon – I will conquer the friendship bracelet! We all worked together while sipping on bubbly, and indulging on sweets. All in all, it was a really great afternoon and something we plan on making a monthly ritual.

For party planning details, click below!

I flanked the hot pink dino centerpiece with bins from the $1 section at Target filled with my nail polish collection. The one pictured above is full of my Essie shades, along with one rogue O.P.I. glitter-ific polish.

The whole set-up. I grabbed some excess tissue paper and cut strips into them to form a fun, colorful fringe for the table cloth.

I made these fun cards for each girl where they could list their favorite shades of the day, in case they want to buy them or request them the next time they are at their manicurist. The girls loved the idea and even painted little samples on the cards for further reference. How cute is that?

The girls getting down to business!

Lori’s finished product!

Next up were the bracelets!

Hard at work!

I made little milkshake shooters for the girls using mini Coca Cola bottles found at the $1 store for about $.49 each! Inspiration was found here.

I’m pretty sure they were a hit!

Until September’s craft!

This past weekend I hosted a fun afternoon for some of my favorite girls consisting of lots of champagne, crafting (friendship bracelets to be exact) and at-home manicures. It was also doubling as a birthday celebration for one of my best friends, Elissa. We had such a good time, and despite the surprising difficulty level of those silly bracelets, decided we should get together to make crafts together at least once a month! With the holidays coming, I can’t wait to plan little projects for us to do together (with plenty of liquor involved, of course). Look out for the official party post tomorrow, complete with details and fun action shots!

With that said, I decided to dress the part and pulled out the color! When I chose to wear a fun striped shirt, I had to pair it with my favorite bells for that retro vibe. I attempted my best blogger bun (I’m really no good at it) and rocked my sky high wedges to complete the fun and relaxed look.

Tee; gifted
Jeans; Free People via Marshall’s
Wedges; gojane.com
Belt; Etsy
Pink bracelet; Ebay
Gold bracelet; gifted
Gold floral necklace; Off 5th
Fox necklace; Grrfeisty